CR IP TI ON BS SU
www.kuwaittimes.net
NO: 15642
MOHARRAM 15, 1434 AH
Kuwait diplomatic ruler under political pressure
40 PAGES
150 FILS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012
Amir dubbed ‘Dean of Arab diplomacy’
Max 20º Min 12º High Tide 13:14 & 23:32 Low Tide 06:10 & 17:34
The youthful cabinet By Dr Ziad Al-Alyan Kuwait Times Deputy Editor-in-Chief
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LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron (left) greets the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah, as he arrives in Downing Street, London yesterday. — AFP KUWAIT: He may be 83 years old, but Kuwait’s ruling Amir remains a well-travelled diplomatic veteran robust enough to have propped up frail foreign leaders at a recent summit and to take centre stage in the country’s latest political row. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah has faced opposition lawmakers keen to question a cabinet dominated by members of his family in a standoff that has blocked economic projects in the major Gulf Arab oil producer. Kuwaitis vote on Dec 1 to select a new parliament, the fifth election since Sheikh Sabah came to power but the target of an opposition boycott over changes to voting rules ordered by the Amir that were deemed to favor pro-government candidates. Illness at the top of the ruling family left Sheikh Sabah as the de facto policymaker for years before he became Amir, chosen as an experienced pair of hands to run the Gulf Arab country. “It was very clear at the time that Sheikh Sabah came with a unique sense of legitimacy. That gives him concrete political capital,” said Ayham Kamel, Middle East analyst at Eurasia Group. Continued on Page 13
uring my recent meeting with the PM it was mentioned by Sheikh Jaber that it was important for him to have young blood in the new government. This theme appears to be the driving force behind the Arab Spring. Out with the old corrupt and in with the young. One obviously hopes that younger generation of politicians have not been tainted by corruption yet. Many of the demonstrations that have been staged in the Arab world recently have been organized by young, educated, enthusiastic and most importantly courageous men and women. This lack of inhibition that they had has allowed them to be a very influential force. They are definitely in favor now. The public demands to see younger new faces. It is for that reason that many alliances and unions have incorporated newer and younger members. This applies to all unions, whether they are based on religious beliefs, or my favorite distinction - tribal versus non-tribal origins. The older politicians have realized this trend and as a last ditch attempt to remain on the scene have attached themselves to the so-called ‘shabab’ movement. These octogenarians honestly have no shame. If you believe that it is time for the younger generation then you should simply support them in getting into parliament. Instead 80-year-old parliamentarians are using them as a tool to get reelected into parliament. This has always been the problem with Arabs. It is about our love for the “chair”. The concept of leaving with dignity after a job well done is foreign to us. Once in a position of power we have to be buried with our “chairs “. Cardiac disease, end stage liver disease even Alzheimer’s doesn’t seem to be a strong enough motivation to decide to call it a day. Unfortunately, I am not aware of any
Unity top challenge for oppn movement KUWAIT: A disparate collection of youth activists, Islamists and populist politicians has achieved rare unity in agreeing to boycott Kuwait parliamentary elections on Dec 1 but the real challenge to the loose coalition is still to come. Political loyalties are illdefined and can change as often as the parliament in Kuwait, which is holding its fifth election since mid-2006. All it takes to be part of the “opposition” in a country where political parties are banned is to show a willingness to confront the government. “We always come across this prob-
Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Al-Sabah (Minister of Information) regulations that prevent a 90-year-old from running for a seat in parliament nor do I believe we should have. I do however believe we should have some other standards that must be met before a candidate is allowed to get into parliament. Call me old-fashioned but I believe a minimum of a university degree must be a requirement. I don’t understand how someone without a degree can possibly be allowed to handle the country’s legislation! There are people who barely have a high-school degree that are members of scientific committees and financial committees in parliament. Does anyone else see a problem there? This might be the reason why we have stopped growing since the late 1970s. My point is highlighted clearly when one listens to the speeches in these campaigns. I follow them regularly not because I am that interested in politics, but the comical value is priceless! Unfortunately, my laughter turns very quickly into tears when I realize that the four or five idiots that I have been laughing at during their campaigns have actu-
Dr. Ali Sayed Al-Obaidi (Minister of Health) Health Dr Ali Al-Obaidi who received a lot of bad media recently from those close to the people he removed from the ministry. Dr Ali took brave steps to ‘clean up’ the ministry. Unfortunately, the dinosaurs he removed from power in many departments had influential friends in the media. It is for that reason that he was chosen as a target by a few newspapers. I hope he is allowed to remain in the new government so he can implement the many projects that we need in the healthcare sector in Kuwait. The Minister of Commerce Anas AlSaleh must be allowed to continue the good work he started. In a recent interview on Sky news he gave a good performance. It is people like that who still give me some hope that Kuwait might still have a chance for a bright future. I must stop writing now because it is time for the elections review on TV. I don’t want to miss a talk by one of the candidates. He, unlike many other candidates, has a nursery certificate that he is proud of. Maybe he will get elected and be allowed to join the public funds committee in parliament.
Saudi king appearance assuages fears
Saudi diplomat shot dead; Qaeda blamed
lem, this issue of the definition,” said Ghanem Al-Najjar, professor of political science at Kuwait University. “When we talk about the opposition in Kuwait, it does not really mean the opposition in the real sense.” While the current movement can certainly claim to the title and is holding together for now, there is little unanimity of purpose and a great deal of uncertainty over what to do next, both for fear of conflict with the ruling authorities and for what it might mean for the fragile unity of the group itself. Continued on Page 13 RIYADH: An image grab from Saudi state television shows Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah appearing on state television, for the first time since he underwent a back operation on November 18. — AFP
KUWAIT: Kuwaiti women take pictures during a seminar organized by the fifth electoral constituency candidate, Mesha’l Sulaiman Al-Shatti for female voters. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat
Anas Khalid Al-Saleh (Minister of Commerce) ally won seats in parliament. It became clear to me that the educated, hardworking and patriotic Kuwaitis have become a minority close to extinction. The problem with jobless idiots is that their favorite past time entertainment is procreating. This makes the educated few at greater risk of vanishing. All is not lost however. The last cabinet has had some very promising stars. Most notably Sheikh Mohammad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Minister of Information. I assure you I am not saying that because of fears that he might close down our newspaper. Anyone who has met him will concur. It’s a breath of fresh air to see a young minister or an official who is articulate and presentable. On the many occasions I saw him speak on foreign channels I truly was proud. He reminded me of the Saudi foreign secretary Prince Saoud Al-Faisal. A man who can hold his own in front of the foreign press. Unlike many that can barely put a few sentences together with the aid of written notes. I would like to see more Kuwaitis like our current minister of information in the new cabinet. I must also mention the Minister of
JEDDAH: Saudi King Abdullah has appeared on state television yesterday for the first time since his 11-hour operation to tighten a back ligament on Nov 17, helping assuage fears over his health. In footage broadcast on state television, the monarch, who is in his late 80s, appeared to be in good health as he sat in a chair receiving members of the royal family and officials at the National Guard’s King Abdulaziz Medical City in the capital Riyadh. Saudi stability is of global concern. The pivotal Gulf US ally holds more than a fifth of world petroleum reserves and is the birthplace of Islam, where millions of Muslims flock to perform the annual haj pilgrimage. “It should put to rest all the rumors that were circulated by unknown people,” Jamal Khashoggi, an influential Saudi Continued on Page 13
SANAA: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a Saudi diplomat and his Yemeni bodyguard in Yemen’s capital Sanaa yesterday in an attack a local security source said appeared to be the work of Al-Qaeda. The killing was the latest attack on security officials and politicians in the US-allied state, where AlQaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and other militant groups have grown in strength since an uprising which began last year and toppled President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Attackers in a four-wheel drive vehicle opened fire on a car carrying Khaled Al-Enizi, an aide to the Saudi military attache, near his house in a southern neighborhood of Sanaa, a Yemeni securit y official said. The diplomat and his Yemeni guard died instantly. No one has claimed responsibility but the security official said authorities were “assuming that AlQaeda was behind it”. “If this is the case, it would be the first time AlQaeda has used a car to carry out an assassination,” he said. The official said previously militants have used motorbikes, often without license plates. AQAP, regarded as Al-Qaeda’s strongest regional wing, has mounted operations in Saudi Arabia and tried to launch
attacks against the United States. Restoring stability in Yemen is an international priority because of its strategic position adjoining not only oil expor ter Saudi Arabia but also major shipping lanes. President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took over as head of state in a Gulf-brokered power-transfer deal in February, and later Yemen’s army drove Islamist fighters out of southern strongholds in a military operation backed by the United States. Washington has also stepped up drone strikes on suspected militants. A Saudi official at the Foreign Ministry in Riyadh confirmed the Enizi’s killing, the state news agency SPA said. The Saudis are a major donor to their poor neighbor and hosted the signing of the deal for Hadi to take power. In October, masked gunmen shot dead a Yemeni man who worked in the security office of the US Embassy in Sanaa, weeks after Abdulilah AlAshwal, a senior intelligence official, was killed in a drive-by shooting in the capital. Islamists linked to Al-Qaeda are still holding the deputy consul at the Saudi mission in the southern city of Aden, whom they seized in March. They have demanded a ransom and the release of women prisoners held in the kingdom. — Reuters